Who is
Raf Rundell? When Raf came on stage shrouded in darkness with his electric guitar it seemed obvious with his thick Mancunian accent and his stripped back songs that he is a kind of Guy Garvey-ish singer songwriter. Raf exudes a similar warmth and instant likeability to Elbows front-man. Yet things quickly changed when the rest of his band joined him on stage for the funky ‘every morning’ during which he had to explain that that the saxophonist hadn’t shown up for his solo. To much laughter Raf simply hummed the Saxophone solo and got on with the show without a hitch.Despite his voice being sore from touring and the keyboardist not showing up either Raf’s band sounded tight and funky. Raf pulled another trick out his sleeve and showed off his rapping ability on ‘Ric Flair’. If Elbows songs romanticizes the north then Raf’s tales of needing to “pay for the sportswear” and everyday having him “California dreaming” reflect a more gritty reality. Raf took things in yet another direction and finished his set with the irresistible disco banger “sweet cheeks” leaving me still wondering who Raf Rundell is but also leaving me wanting more.
6.8/10
Some bands make an impression before they’ve even played a note.
Insecure Men are a 9 piece band, including three keyboardists, a saxophonist and slide guitarist. Insecure Men live up to their name, hiding behind decks of keyboards like Gary Numan's Tubeway Army, with sullen faces but also looking cool as fuck, sporting casual brown suits for their own take on the classic post punk/blitz kids look. Despite having many members and featuring stars such as ‘Childhood’s Ben Romans Hopcraft and what may have been a fame shy Sean Lennon lurking in the shadows, this is very much Saul Adamzewski’s band. Saul’s other band Fat White Family quickly became famous for their chaotic live shows and general depravity. However Insecure Men mix Saul's sense of depravity with Chilhood's soulful pop. With Insecure Men Saul has created a lush, sophisticated sound that he could never have achieved with Fat Whites, which contrasts with his gruff vocal delivery and disturbing lyrics. Insecure Men do little to engage the audience, with Saul only speaking to introduce the songs in a matter of fact style. In what may be only a half truth, announcing that “all women love me and all men fear me” and that “this song’s about Heathrow Airport, it's called
Heathrow”. Many of Insecure Men's songs manage to be instantly familiar. “Mekon Glitter” takes the iconic drum beat from ‘We Will Rock you’ while ‘Heathrow’ steals the tune of silent night. The instant familiarity of these songs only adds to their disturbing nature. Ultimately I give Saul all the credit in the world for overcoming his addictions and forming a band as professional and sophisticated as Insecure Men. He’s taken some of the best qualities of Fat Whites and incorporated them into something even more surreal. My only complaint is that they came on stage, played for 45 minutes and that's about it. For all Insecure Men’s merits they seemed engaged yet also strangely detached, giving me little to linger in the memory.
8.4
www.facebook.com/pg/RafRundell
https://insecuremen.bandcamp.com/
Note: I didn't realise when writing this that Raf Rundell is a member of the 2 Bears. The 2 Bears are ace.
Who is Raf Rundell? When Raf came on stage shrouded in darkness with his electric guitar it seemed obvious with his thick Mancunian accent and his stripped back songs that he is a kind of Guy Garvey-ish singer songwriter. Raf exudes a similar warmth and instant likeability to Elbows front-man. Yet things quickly changed when the rest of his band joined him on stage for the funky ‘every morning’ during which he had to explain that that the saxophonist hadn’t shown up for his solo. To much laughter Raf simply hummed the Saxophone solo and got on with the show without a hitch.Despite his voice being sore from touring and the keyboardist not showing up either Raf’s band sounded tight and funky. Raf pulled another trick out his sleeve and showed off his rapping ability on ‘Ric Flair’. If Elbows songs romanticizes the north then Raf’s tales of needing to “pay for the sportswear” and everyday having him “California dreaming” reflect a more gritty reality. Raf took things in yet another direction and finished his set with the irresistible disco banger “sweet cheeks” leaving me still wondering who Raf Rundell is but also leaving me wanting more. 6.8/10
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